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Monthly Archives: February 2012

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Since it launched, I’ve had Mark Waid and Paulo Rivera’s Daredevil on my pull list. I haven’t been able to track down the first issue, though, so I also haven’t been able to dive into it, even though I’ve heard nothing but great things. Well, with issue 8 concluding the Spider-Man crossover I figured Daredevil #9 would be a good place to take the plunge and actually get to read the thing!

I was a little wary, though. Normally when a book gets such consistently good reviews it runs the risk over being overhyped. In addition, Mark Waid was at the forefront of the Silver Age revival started in the late 90’s (and brought to reductio ad absurdum by Geoff Johns). While Waid has consistently been a great writer, with the move in recent years to more high concept comics (think Jeff Parker, Jonathan Hickman, and (to some extent) Geoff Johns) I wasn’t entirely convinced he would fit in with newfangled crazy-idea, high-action, madcap stories that represent the best of the current crop of comic books. (None of this is to say that all comics are trending this way, but when I look at my favorite comics these days that’s the common element I see.)

I needn’t have been concerned, as Mark Waid is obviously too good a writer to be dismissed due to trending styles, as he gets the high concept right with Daredevil and still manages to nail the nuance and characterization any good comic needs.

Matt Murdock heads underground on the trail of coffins exhumed from a New York cemetary by the Moloids, for purposes unknown. As he follows them further and further underneath the city, Rivera’s artwork REALLY gets to shine. It’s moody and eerie, as befits a Daredevil comic, but where he really shines is his representation of Hornhead’s radar sense. It’s graphic, detailed, and truth be told, how I always figured DD “sees” the world around him. And then there’s the nicest touch: Waid and Rivera have CLEARLY thought about the benefits and limitations of a radar sense. The panel of Daredevil navigating down the underground river is nothing short of amazing.

I haven’t been this excited about finding a new comic since I discovered Atomic Robo. If you’ve been looking for something new to check out or just want to see how good a superhero comic can get: Waid and Rivera’s Daredevil.

I’m not picking up too many books this time around, unfortunately. Here’s this week’s new and noteworthy titles.

FF #15

PIGS #6

STEED AND MRS PEEL #2 (OF 6) – This really reads like an 80’s title, and it’s definitely before Grant Morrison found his voice. It’s okay, but without any attachment to the original Avengers TV series this one isn’t wowing me.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MICRO SERIES #3 DONATELLO – These solo issues have been surprisingly strong. If you’ve been enjoying the main TMNT series, this will do you even better.

VENOM #13.4 – I still don’t know what Marvel’s doing here, but Jeff Parker’s got some issues in now, so that’s a plus.

Speaking of Jeff Parker, we may have to revise our “Jeff Parker Can’t Lose” tag somewhat. I’ve had the “opportunity” to catch up on a ton of backissues on runs I’ve recently completed. Thunderbolts started to lose me with the recent time-travel arc. The WWII story was solid, but the Whitechapel murder arc left me pretty disaffected. I think the issue has something to do with the increased frequency it’s coming out, so the move is to push to progress the story without focusing on the character nuance that exemplifies the best of Parker’s books. Similarly, though I haven’t gotten completely current on Hulk, it started off strong as Red Hulk battled the miggest and best of Marvel’s classic giant monsters. Parker is clearly drawing parallels between Banner’s battle with the military and Ross’s, but instead of having Red Hulk learn and grow from those interactions, they just bounce off and he bounds to the next thing to punch.

A Jeff Parker book is still better than 80% of the other books on the stands, but I’ll be keeping a cautious eye on them as I evaluate my pull list. That’s it for me for this week! What looks good to you?

SECRETS!!!

I’m a little grumpy about this week’s comics, but that may just be the fault of last week’s comics. Here are THIS week’s new and noteworthy titles.

ATOMIC ROBO GHOST OF STATION X #5 (OF 5) – Well okay, THIS gets things off to a good start: the conclusion of the 6th volume of Atomic Robo!

FANTASTIC FOUR #603 – I’m one issue away from being able to get caught up on both Fantastic Four and FF, but unfortunately that issue is #587, the death of Johnny Storm, which is both rare and pricey at this point.

PROPHET #22 – I was VERY impressed with the Prophet relaunch and will be keeping up with it for a while. It’s not really in the vein of what I normally pick up, but it’s interesting and very readable (unlike the original Prophet run, which I couldn’t wade through) so this comes highly recommended.

SECRET AVENGERS #23 – $4? Yeah, no. I’m sure I’ll snag it eventually, but not for 4 bucks and not based on the .1 issue that just came out.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ONGOING #7

UNCANNY X-FORCE #22

VENOM #13.3 – Just what in the world is going on here??? Point 3? No Remender? This is messed up, Marvel.

I’m not the biggest fan of the Adventure Time cartoon writing here, that honor goes to Matt, but I do enjoy it a great deal and check it out somewhat regularly. Therefore when Boom! ??? announced they were doing a new Adventure Time series written by Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics, I was in. I’ve got to say, it’s pretty great. It opens with a really interesting sequence that reveals how the cartoon’s opening sequence was created, in a way that allows for the uninitiated to understand while providomg more depth if you get the reference. There’s all sorts of easter eggs in this book, including light blue notes in the gutters that are JUST legible enough to read…if you see them.

The main story’s art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb is drawn in the Adventure Time house style, but Aaron Renier’s backup tells a story in his own painted style instead, and it’s a nice touch that we get to see other artistic interpretations of the characters. Boom! and all the creators involved really knocked themselves out with this one, and it’s well worth picking up if you’re a fan of hijinks, high adventure, and high…fist-bumps.

I feel like I’m the only one excited by Rob Liefeld’s Extreme relaunch, but I’m genuinely enjoying it. Prophet #21 was excellent, and Glory #23 continues the streak of success. The Rob obviously knows to set up his talent and then get out of the way, as the characters are established and yet feel all-new. Or in Glory’s case, 500 years old. Credit artist Ross Campbell with that, as he manages to make Glory look young and childlike yet world-weary and battle-damaged, allat the same time. The artwork really is an amazing strength. Writer Joe Keatinge manages to incorporate a healthy amount of intrigue (and provides answers to key questions in the first issue! What an concept!) while working in enough humor and action to keep things moving. In fact, the only knock I can think of is that it feels a bit too much like Promethea in places. As much as I enjoyed Prophet, I loved this book. It’s been selling briskly, but if you find a copy on the shelf, grab it.

Do. Not. Buy.

Bloodstrike and Youngblood will round out the relaunch in the next few months, and while they’re the titles I’m least looking forward to, the strength of the first half are going to force me to give them a chance.

The less said about Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #12 the better. With the story mostly wrapped up in issue 11, IDW felt it was appropriate to charge $4 for shots of wreckage and a few wrap-up captions. This is the biggest waste of money I may have ever spent on a comic, and IDW should never have put it out.

As many of you know Matt and I hail from South Louisiana, and this time of year is very important to the culture: Mardi Gras season! While not too many comic characters live in New Orleans (where IS Hawkman now, anyway???), many still take the opportunity to celebrate in their own ways. For this week’s list, we proudly present Mardi Gras Traditions of Your Favorite Comic Characters.

Great Lakes Avengers – The entire team takes a trip to Mardi Gras and Bourbon street in hopes of losing their respective virginities amidst the debauchery. Doorman thought he lost it once, but Mr. Immortal was kind enough to find it for him.

Herbie Popnecker – Hurricane-flavored lollipops

It's baggy sweats for Kara. Let someone else put their cleavage on display for a change.